Plan to tap Yarra water causes alarm

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The State Government is considering taking more water from the already-stressed Yarra River to help Melbourne overcome its water woes.

An extra 70 billion litres - about 15 per cent of the city's annual needs - would be diverted under a new plan.

The plan is a key option being considered by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. It is due to be completed by August.

While the plan would significantly boost the city's water supplies, environmentalists are alarmed that it could have a disastrous effect on the river's health.

Already the Yarra has only about 65 per cent of its natural flow after water is taken by Melbourne Water and farms. Under the new plan, the natural flow would drop below 60 per cent.

According to the Government's 2003 water green paper, rivers with less than 70 per cent of natural flow are "very likely to be stressed".

The proposal to boost the city's water supply from the Yarra is "still on the table", according to Melbourne Water.

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The plan would involve water being pumped from the river at Yering Gorge, downstream of Yarra Glen, into the Sugarloaf Reservoir.

Because the water would be coming from outside the pristine closed catchment areas, it would have to be fully treated.

A departmental document obtained by The Age reveals that the department does not plan to do an environmental flow assessment - in which scientists work out how much water a river needs to be healthy - until more than a year after the new allocations are finalised.

An urban river such as the Yarra needs decent flows to dilute toxic chemicals and other pollution from drains and tributaries. Good flows are also needed to keep river life healthy, feed wetlands and maintain the salt water-fresh water estuarine system when it reaches Port Phillip Bay.

A spokesman for Water Minister John Thwaites confirmed that the allocation of the Yarra's water was under review but the amount to be given for Melbourne's use was yet to be determined. The process would give Melbourne Water a legal right to water in the river.

Taking extra water from the Yarra would be an attractive option for the Government and Melbourne Water, which are under pressure to return water from the city's supplies to Gippsland's Thomson River.

Other factors putting pressure on water supplies include population growth, climate change and continuing drought.

Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis, who led the landmark 2002 Water Resources Strategy - a blueprint for Melbourne for the next 50 years - said the Yering Gorge option would have a significant energy cost and impact on the Yarra.

"I believe we should have an environment assessment done, not after (the entitlements are decided) - that would be too late," she said.

River campaigner Maya Ward, who with three others walked the length of the Yarra last April, said a key message she heard on the Long Yarra Walk was that the river needed more water.

"The ecologists said 'Give us more water because this is a river dying of thirst'," Ms Ward said.

"It is a dammed river and it is suffering from a lot of the problems that dammed rivers suffer from."

Ms Ward said it was ridiculous that Melbourne Water was expected to make a profit and save water at the same time. "Anyone can see that that's flawed," she said.

Melbourne Water referred most questions from The Age about the Yarra allocation - called a bulk entitlement - to the department. "We are going through the process with (the department) to convert our existing allocations to a bulk entitlement," a spokeswoman said.

River expert Associate Professor Brian Finlayson, of the University of Melbourne, said the Government should take careful precautions with the Yarra.

"There's awful lot of people sitting around the Yarra and if you mess it up too badly it is going to be very obvious," Professor Finlayson said.

Environment Victoria's healthy rivers campaign director, Paul Sinclair, said the Government should leave the rivers alone and instead increase the water savings targets from 15 per cent to at least 25 per cent by 2010.

"One day someone could turn on their tap and the last drop of the Yarra might drip out of it," Dr Sinclair said.

"The department is going to try to rush through a law that gives more of the Yarra River to Melbourne Water and nothing to the environment.

"No water should be handed out to Melbourne Water until the Environment Protection Authority audits how much water is already being used and how much the environment needs."